


Bold Stroke

by the_irish_mayhem



Series: A Spark Within [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Female Friendship, Gen, Past Aang/Katara (Avatar), Pining, but toph beifong style pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24579088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_irish_mayhem/pseuds/the_irish_mayhem
Summary: Toph has a crush. It’s the worst.Or: Toph confides in Katara about her burgeoning feelings for Aang.
Relationships: Aang/Toph Beifong, Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Toph Beifong & Katara
Series: A Spark Within [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1759237
Comments: 20
Kudos: 257





	Bold Stroke

**Author's Note:**

> Toph/Katara friendship, Taang, background Zutara

**113 AG**

**Year of the Rooster**

**Republic City**

Toph refuses to visit Katara on the basis that she wants boy advice. She outright  _ refuses _ . There is some part of that simply balks at the idea, that going out of her way for something involving romance would be… too needy. Too soft, too silly, and all these dumb things she’d rejected for so long.

Thing is though, Katara would  _ love it _ . She would absolutely adore it, and Katara does actually give really good advice.

But Toph is ever stubborn--her gut tells her she is not going to go to the Fire Nation for boy advice so she summarily refuses to go to the Fire Nation for boy advice. But, she supposes, just because she doesn’t  _ go _ to the Fire Nation for boy advice doesn’t mean she can’t ask for it once she’s already there.

So she waits. And waits. There is  _ going _ to be an excuse for her to go to the Fire Nation at some point. There always is. There are always assassins or whatever… or maybe there will be kidnappers again. (Okay, maybe not those things. She still sometimes has nightmares about the first attempt on Katara’s life and that’s not something she ever wants to relive again. And as far as kids go, Izumi and Iroh are pretty cool. Last time kidnappers tried anything had been when Izumi was just born, and Toph still doesn’t know the full story aside from knowing that Zuko and Katara put the fear of the gods in them. Or Agni, or whoever.) Or there will be something that they need her advice on, or vice versa. Something with Republic City or… something. There will be  _ something _ .

The stunning show of peace and productivity in the next few weeks are unparalleled. Toph is almost frustrated--of course, when she needs a reason to go to the Fire Nation everyone decides to behave.

As it turns out, the Fire Nation comes to her. Or rather, Katara makes a surprise visit to see her brother, and Toph is lucky she lives in close proximity.

Then comes the actual conversation part. How is she supposed to bring this up? God, this is the worst.

She thinks, rather suddenly, of her late night conversations with Aang--about everything from Aang describing the constellations in the night sky and the wonder in his voice as he described the stories behind them to him talking about the genocide of his people and the brokenness that she knows will never heal, not really. She thinks of him as he is now--still lighter on his feet than anyone she’d ever met, funny and kind and so deeply good it hurts her sometimes. She never would’ve guessed when she met him that he would become someone that she felt this way about--that he would become someone with this sway, this power over her.

It’s infuriating, sometimes. A lot of times, really.

It’s Katara who insists they spend some quality time together. A girls’ day out. Luckily, no spas where they try to touch her feet are included this time. Instead, they both forgo their usual attire and dress in their civilian clothes to tour the city. Toph is almost certain some of the residents and workers recognize them--their faces are not exactly anonymous, and the city’s social circles are still relatively small--but they are left alone as they wind through the streets.

There’s an open-air market that Katara insists that they go into. It had sprung up more or less on its own. They’d left room for the possibility by leaving a large open space between the planned business and residential districts with the bare minimum of infrastructure to encourage and assist in setting up booths. When it began, it had mainly been a farmer’s market. Farmers from around the newly formed nation were no longer sending food to the Fire Nation to feed its massive battle force and had thus found themselves without their main avenue of selling their produce. The first trickle of vendors had slowly become a steady stream, and merchants from the Earth Kingdom proper began to make their way to Republic City to sell their wares. It isn’t full to capacity yet, but it’s far from a modest start.

Katara is saying something about how she can’t wait for more Water Tribe merchants to make their way away from the poles--she’s been missing home lately, and would do just about anything for some genuine Water Tribe textiles--when the topic on Toph’s mind just comes spilling out.

“I think I like Aang.”

Katara immediately drops her previous thought and asks, “You mean like or  _ like _ like?” Toph had been right--based on her tone and the sudden increase in her heart rate, Katara is extremely excited by this train of conversation.

Toph scoffs. “Katara you are twenty-eight years old and have two children. Can’t we just talk like adults?”

“Oh, I am talking like an adult,” Katara says, and Toph can tell based on her tone that she is grinning so hard her face is probably going to fall off. “You’re the one who can’t say out loud that you have a big, fat crush on Aang.”

“I  _ said _ I liked him,” Toph says. “What more do you want from me?”

“Sappy poetry,” Katara says, “or maybe heartfelt songs and emotional confessions?”

Toph groans. “Why are we friends, again?”

“Oh come on, I’ve been waiting years for this. Toph Beifong has a crush! And she’s telling me about it!”

“I can and will launch you into the air with my earthbending and I will  _ not _ be sorry.”

“Okay,” Katara says with a laugh, “okay, sorry for giving you crap. I’m just really excited.”

“I can tell.”

“We’ve been waiting for this for  _ years _ ,” Katara says. “Oh, I cannot wait to tell Sokka.”

“Wait, wait, hold on. We? _ Sokka?” _

“Uh, there… may have been some… conversations about the frankly insane amount of chemistry that has developed between you and Aang in the last couple years.”

Toph stops in her tracks. “You guys have been talking about us behind our backs?!”

“Lovingly!” Katara defends. “And with the utmost concern and care for the both of you.”

Toph groans again. “I can’t believe this.”

“Hey,” Katara says, tone going gentle as she puts a hand on Toph’s shoulder, “I’m sorry for embarrassing you.”

“I’m not embarrassed!” she answers far too quickly.

“Fine, then I’m sorry for teasing you,” she amends. “Let’s talk. I want to know everything--oh, wait, actually, before we start, give me a second.”

Katara takes a sharp left, heading for a sweet-smelling roasted nut stand run by a firebending couple whose names Toph has forgotten. She is always impressed by the way Katara seems able to charm anyone, and before long, the Fire Lady has the couple laughing and thanking her profusely for her patronage, as well as two bags of sweet praline pecans and honeyed almonds.

She holds one of the bags out to Toph and says, “Girl talk is always better when there are sweets involved.”

Toph laughs, but she won’t disagree. She swipes the bag and tries a few of the nuts. Looks like Katara gave her the pecan bag. The roasted cinnamon sugar is warm on her tongue, and the deep, rich flavor of the pecan lingers after she’s swallowed it.

“Mm.” She pops another small handful into her mouth and says around the nuts, “You’re right. In fact, I think all talk would be better with sweets.”

“So. You think you like Aang,” Katara prompts.

“Well,” Toph considers, “I’m pretty sure. It’s not like I do this romantic thing very much. I know that I like having him around. I’m sad when I don’t see him for a while, but it’s not like missing you or Zuko or Sokka.” Toph takes a few bites of pecan, and Katara seems content to let her puzzle out her words on her own.

She eventually settles on, “I have always been better on my own. I’m not…” she makes a frustrated sound. “It’s not like I don’t want to be alone ever, or want his company all the time. There are a lot of times when I want to turn to someone and say something to them, and I want it to be him more often than not.”

Katara lets out a soft chuckle. “Toph, you’re the toughest person I’ve ever met, and admitting you sometimes want someone around isn’t bad.”

“I know that,” she replies, “but it’s hard to  _ really know _ that all the time, you know? It’s like… I don’t want to get to know what it’s like, to know how good it could be, and then have that taken away.”

“So you admit that it would be good? Being with Aang.”

“Yes, but I know that things that you think should be good aren’t always everything they’re cracked up to be.” Toph sighs. “I’ve always been fine on my own. Really good, even. If I like him, if I want to pursue something, I don’t know if it’ll be forever. In fact, based on knowing me, I’d say it probably won’t be. I’m not messing with our friendship for something I don’t think I even need.”

“I think this has turned into a sitting conversation,” Katara says. She changes course, and Toph can feel the bench she’s aiming for at the edge of the marketplace. After they sit, Katara says, “Being alone isn’t bad. If you never had a romantic relationship in your entire life, I’d support that as long as you were happy.”

“I am happy,” Toph says, and it’s certainly not a lie. She loves working for the Republic City Police Department, and she’s gotten more satisfaction out of the Metalbending Academy than she’d ever anticipated when she founded it. Her life is really, really good. So it almost feels selfish to reach for more; it almost feels like she’s already got a great setup--why introduce a new variable that might make it all come tumbling down around her?

“I know you are,” Katara replies softly, “but for as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never been a person who doesn’t go after something she wants. So, if you don’t want any sort of romantic entanglements, then feel free to ignore me. But I also don’t put it past you to convince yourself that you don’t need these connections when having them might make your life better.

“I know I’m the sappy Mom friend," Katara continues, "but having love in your life really does have the potential to make it amazing. It’s like you’ve got a painting, and you think it looks beautiful already, and yeah, maybe it is. But sometimes a single bold stroke has the potential to make it great.”

“Wonderful analogy for a blind person.”

Katara curses. “Sorry, that’s the way it was explained to me. How about architecture then? The world’s greatest architects--”

“It’s okay,” Toph says with a laugh. “I get what you’re trying to say.”

“Point is, the best things in life are often the scariest. You can’t be scared to ruin what you have, because then you’ll close yourself off to whole new worlds of possibility.”

“You say all these sage, wise things, but I am probably not going to follow any of your advice. Just, you know, knowing myself and all.”

Katara laughs. “I can’t force you to do anything. Ultimately, you know what’s best for you, even if it’s obscured by a lot of other stuff.”

“How did you do it?” Toph asks suddenly. “I mean, you and Sparky are one thing, but even when you and Aang dated, how did you--“ she makes a frustrated sound. “I can’t figure out how to say this without sounding like a jerk.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Katara says. “No judgement zone.”

“How’d you decide that being with them was worth more than your friendship?”

“I didn’t,” Katara says. “You should be friends with your romantic partner, you know.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know, I know. I think that... I think it kind of just became an eventuality, you know? It felt inevitable. Like momentum that I couldn’t stop.” Katara sighs. “That makes it sound like it wasn’t my choice. It was, both times.” She pauses for a moment, clearly trying to organize her thoughts. “Eventually, you just have to get it out on the table. It’s better than to continue in a state of limbo where you don’t know either way. A few seconds of courage is all you really need. Just a couple seconds where you decide that you can be brave enough to make that bold stroke. And hopefully, they meet you halfway.”

“And if they don’t?” Toph asks in a voice that is much smaller than she’d intended. It’s not easy for Toph to admit weakness, to admit there is something soft within her steel, but if there’s anyone who won’t judge her softness, it’s Katara. Katara, who wears her softness on the outside and her steel underneath. It’s not something Toph ever thought she’d be envious of, but well. Here they are.

“It’s not fun,” Katara replies, “but it’s a weight off your shoulders knowing that you went for it, and you don’t have to keep wondering ‘what if?’ You get to pick up the pieces and move on.

“And honestly, speaking as someone who dated and broke up with Aang, let me tell you—you remember how bad things were between us when I split up with him,” Katara says and Toph winces. She remembers all too well and would never in a million years wish to go back to that time when their friend group felt so fractured, but she also knows that was when she and Aang really started to get closer--when the things that he might’ve once shared with Katara became things he shared with her.

“But we healed,” Katara continues, “and he’s back to being one of my best friends in the whole world. Our friendship wouldn’t be as strong as it is now if we hadn’t gone through that hard time. He is the most forgiving person I’ve ever met, and he knows how to love unconditionally. You won’t lose that.”

Toph leans her head back against the bench and tries to relax. “You’re making it very hard to stay stubborn with all these reasonable points, Sugar Queen.”

She laughs, “And to think, the Fire Lord’s Council tries to call me  _ un _ reasonable. But seriously,” she says, tone shifting, “you know yourself better than anyone. Just make sure you’re honest with yourself, too.”

They sit in silence for a while, finishing off the last of their roasted nuts as the heat of the sun begins to lessen as day creeps closer to night.

Impulsively, Toph throws her arms around Katara. “Thank you,” she says into her friend’s shoulder before pulling away and punching her arm.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“Couldn’t have you telling Sokka and Zuko I’m giving out free hugs.”

“Oh please, like you ever need an excuse to hug Zuko.”

Toph has no good answer to that, so she pushes herself off the bench. “Come on,” she says, gesturing at where Katara still sits. “You should see how the museums are coming along.”

Katara doesn’t comment on the swift change of subject, and Toph thinks that she’ll actually let it lie for once.

And of course, she doesn’t.

Standing in front of the skeleton of what will become the Southern Water Tribe Museum, Katara says, “It’ll all work out, Toph. You’ll see.”

She bites back a blind joke and decides to meet Katara’s sincerity halfway. “I hope so.”

It only takes another three years and a few emotional breakdowns and world crises, but sixteen years after the end of the Hundred Year War, Toph finally finds the courage to make her bold stroke.

Just as Katara predicted, Aang meets her halfway.

Toph would be pissed at proving her right if she weren’t so happy.

**Author's Note:**

> The ‘bold stroke’ analogy is my favorite romantic love analogy of all time and is from _The Half Of It,_ the most beautiful, gentle, wonderful coming out story Netflix has ever graced us with. Would highly recommend a watch.
> 
> I promise, I’ll write the Aang and Toph getting together fic in full, but I want to write some other things in this universe to lay more groundwork before I do that.


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